Farmerville Gazette, January 11, 1939
Written by Edna Liggin as Uncle Lige
Wal, fust I’ll say I stayed at home New Year’s Eve, of my own free will. Then, Sunday, I was a tellin’ Ma (my wife) how some of my neighbors spent the Eve, a gal frollicin’ I calls it. Danged if Ma didn’t get riled.
“You’re jest a wishin’ you’d been with ’em’, she snaps. I opened my mouth, then shut it, leavin’ Ma to keep her little illusion SHE kept me home.”
“Men are so mo-notomous with their idea of a good time,” she snaps again.
And danged if Ma wern’t right. We goes to Shiloh church Sunday night and our favorite preacher (Rev. Rodgers) gave us a fine sermon on Herod and his selling out. And I found out old Herod liked to frolic same as folks do now on New Year’s Eve and sech like eves.
Wal, times shore do change. I walked to school through mud and in snow and fer dinner. I punched a hole in my biscuit and poured in molasses out of a little jar.
Now Union Gin school teachers and parents have organized to feed the pupils hot soup fer dinner! Hot zezzety! Believe I’ll start to school. The ladies of the communities met Thursday at the Union Gin canning kitchen and canned 51 hens to go with the tomatoes and vegetables already gathered up. They are a even gonna give the kids crackers! Pass the soup and crackers, teacher!
Ma had better make her soup good, or else I’ll go to Union Gin.
Shore are lots of sick folks. Alice Patrick at Shiloh, Ida B. Barham, Mrs. J. H. Lewis.
Uncle Lige knows of two big New Year’s dinners. Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Lee had about forty-five and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lowery had twenty-seven. Mrs. Quinnie Golden returned from visiting relatives at Jennings, La. and brought with her her mother. Mrs. Hebert and Emma and Joe Hebert, also some delayed X’mas presents. How nice! Wish one had a been fer me.
Edna and Mylas Tabor entertained with a swell party Friday night … Mrs. Ross Reeves had a quilting last week. Uncle Lige often wonders what women like best at those affairs, quilting or a-talkin … Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Campbell and sons of Dubach visited Mr. and Mrs. Mack Huffman last Sunday —- Mrs. W. T. Golden of Delhi is visiting Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Golden.
Mr. and Mrs. Jewel Brooks of Farmerville have moved into Shiloh community……..forty-five from Shiloh Church attended the Sunday School convention at New Prospect last Sunday. The convention meets the first Sunday in February at Shiloh.
Wal, I believe I’ll go up to Albritton Store and see whut’s happened since I left thar … Some of the menfolks have found out thar’s 5,000 backaches in cutting 5,000 tomato sticks.
So long, from “Lige Winchell”.
Edna Matthews Liggin will always be remembered as the official historian of Union Parish and the Book Mobile Lady. She began writing the Uncle Lige column in The Gazette in 1939. Over the years she wrote many articles about the Union Parish history, the people there and her bottle collection. In her retired years she enjoyed visiting the older people in the Union Parish community.
Shiloh to Canaan 